Bewertung von Einstreumaterialien für Liegeboxen in der Milchviehhaltung

In modern dairy cow housing systems, the animals’ cubicles are mostly scattered with organic materials, which have a positive effect on the lying behaviour of the cows and the hygiene in the cubicles. The objective of the present study was to investigate the economic and climate-relevant qualities of different bedding materials in the cubicles. The bedding materials showed differences in the acceptance among the animals as well as in the effort and expense involved. A further focus was on climatically relevant gases emitted by the bedding materials and their emission potential. Emissions in the cubicles were low compared to further emission sources in the barn (CH 4 from ruminal digestion and manure storage) or emissions (N 2 O) generated during and after the spreading of slurry on the field. The measured emissions of the applied bedding materials are even negligibly low if the applied organic materials are scattered throughout the entire cubicles in the barn.